The invention relates to a conduit box assembly for housing and connecting cables, e.g., wires, conductive strips and conductive lines, for electrical power and data to a sensor and each other.
Conduit boxes, also known as junction boxes, are commonly used to house connections between cables and connections between cables and a sensor. Cables come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. To accommodate the variety of cables, conduit boxes also come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The varieties of cables and conduit boxes create a difficulty in sealing cables to the conduit boxes because a seal between a specific cable and conduit box must either be designed or tailored for the cable and the conduit box. To install or service a conduit box, a technician must carry a variety of conduit boxes and seals to be sure to have the proper conduit box and seal suited for a specific connection of cables. The need for a variety of conduit boxes and seals creates logistical difficulties in having to have available the variety of conduit boxes and seals, and creates a risk that an improper conduit box or seal may be installed.
Other types of conduit boxes do not provide a seal between the cable and the passage or opening in the housing for the box. Without a seal, the connections housed in the conduit box are subject to the surrounding environment, which may be hostile due to high operating temperatures and caustic gases and liquids in the immediate environment.
Conduit boxes are commonly required to comply with certain certification and rating standards for wiring of power and data cables. Examples of certifications and rating standards include UL (UL LLC), CSA (Canadian Electrical Code), ATEX (explosive atmosphere standard), CE (European Conformity) and IP (Ingress Protection Marking). The various certifications and ratings have caused the variety of conduit boxes to increase as there are now conduit boxes specific to one or more of the certifications or ratings.
Further, conduit boxes are subject to dimensional limitations due to the standards and certifications, and a trend to miniaturize components in plants. The various sizes and shapes of cables to be coupled to a conduit box, the various ratings and certifications applied to conduit boxes, and the trend to reduce the size of conduit boxes, create a need for a universal conduit box that can receive and seal various sizes and shapes of cables, is compliant with applicable certifications and ratings and is simple in construction so that it may be scaled to a reduced size.